Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,311 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,104 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,896 in Popayan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Popayan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Popayan 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.42 COP 23.1K

-40.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$46.79 COP 146.0K

-31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.41 COP 29.3K

-5.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.43 COP 7,580

19.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.52 COP 4,731

-42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.98 COP 3,069

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.65 COP 8,267

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.33 COP 13.5K

-14.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.33 COP 4,160

40.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.51 COP 7,845

-41.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.57 COP 4,887

-1.27%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.82 COP 8,807

-25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.85 COP 27.6K

121.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.82 COP 33.8K

-68.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.63 COP 39.4K

-9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.22 COP 10.1K

-7.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.65 COP 5,136

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.79 COP 5,590

23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.66 COP 5,177

30.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.69 COP 5,286

-10.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.48 COP 4,621

-9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.28 COP 3,986

-11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.09 COP 3,409

-49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.65 COP 11.4K

16.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$13.67 COP 42.6K

39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.36 COP 4,249

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.62 COP 8,184

6.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.18 COP 3,668

88.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.49 COP 4,644

103.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.24 COP 6,989

-54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.46 COP 26.4K

-54.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.38 COP 4,294

7.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$25.1K COP 78.3M

5.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$33.9K COP 105.8M

-20.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$102 ฿3,420

$115 COP 357.4K

-10.54%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.33 ฿378

$14.07 COP 43.9K

-19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$25.98 COP 81.1K

-33.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$38.08 COP 118.8K

36.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.53 COP 23.5K

2.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$561 ฿18.7K

$628 COP 2.0M

-10.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,376 COP 23.0M

56.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$84.2 COP 262.7K

-25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$51.2 COP 159.8K

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$136 COP 423.4K

-27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$116 COP 362.2K

-23.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$763 COP 2.4M

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$544 COP 1.7M

-11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$920 COP 2.9M

129.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$984 COP 3.1M

24.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,286 COP 7.1M

58.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,938 COP 6.0M

34.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.58

-51.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Popayan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $763 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $282 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,967 in Popayan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $763 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $628 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $47.00 in Popayan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,311 in Popayan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Popayan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Popayan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Popayan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Popayan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.